Seen: A Free to View Portrait Exhibition by Joshua Bratt will open at RNIB Headquarters from 12-14 September 2025
London, UK: Acclaimed photojournalist and portrait photographer, Joshua Bratt will unveil a powerful new portrait exhibition at the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) this September, spotlighting the strength, individuality and lived experiences of blind and partially sighted people across the UK, including many recognisable faces.
The exhibition, titled Seen, features 22 intimate photographic portraits that share interesting stories of people who navigate the world with sight loss. Bratt’s thoughtful composition invites audiences to see the person beyond the sight loss, placing their achievements, passions and inner worlds front and centre.
Hosted at RNIB’s Grimaldi Building in London, the free-to-view exhibition has been curated with accessibility at its core. Each portrait will be accompanied by rich audio descriptions while a tactile brochure will be available so people can experience the images through their sense of touch.
Bratt found inspiration for Seen when he noticed a cane user during his regular commute to Central London. He commented: “Ignorantly, I would just see him as a blind person rather than a man going to work with a job and a story, and I realised that if I was subconsciously labelling somebody, and just seeing the disability rather than who they were as a person, then other people were likely doing that too.”
He continued: “I came up with the idea of going around the country and finding blind or partially sighted people with interesting backgrounds and stories and taking their picture to help change the perceptions that many people may have about sight loss.
Bratt connected with RNIB to support him in sourcing subjects for his shoots. Following a call out on its social media channels, Louise Simpson, the first blind person to reach the 100 Club of Marathons, became the first ‘sitter’ in this project. Momentum built quickly after this, and soon many famous faces joined the body of work, including; politician and former Home Secretary, Lord Blunkett, British Archery Champion, Clive Jones, Astronomer, Dr Nicolas Bonne, gamer Ben Breen, barrister Jessikah Inaba and model Nan M.
Anna Tylor, Chair of RNIB, was also photographed as part of the project. She said: “It was a pleasure to be part of the amazing line up of people in Joshua’s project. His work is a moving reminder that representation matters – not only in how people are seen, but in how we are heard, felt, and understood. RNIB is thrilled to open its headquarters to this exhibition, and we hope people enjoy experiencing a glimpse of some of the amazing stories behind the talent that feature in this photo series.”
The exhibition will run from Friday 12 to Sunday 14 September 2025 at RNIB’s Grimaldi Building, 154a Pentonville Road, London, N1 9JE. Timed viewing slots can be booked for free at Evenbrite.co.uk